Lady Miner softball drops 3 of 4 over weekend

The Missouri S&T softball team got out to early leads in each game of its doubleheader against Bellarmine on Sunday, but couldn't hold the leads as the Knights won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) twinbill 6-3 and 11-3 in six innings.

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The Rolla Daily News - Rolla, MO

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Posted Mar. 10, 2013 at 8:59 PM
Updated Mar 10, 2013 at 9:01 PM

Posted Mar. 10, 2013 at 8:59 PM
Updated Mar 10, 2013 at 9:01 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

Luke Rinne

The Missouri S&T softball team got out to early leads in each game of its doubleheader against Bellarmine on Sunday, but couldn't hold the leads as the Knights won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) twinbill 6-3 and 11-3 in six innings.

On Saturday at Lebanon, Ill. the Lady Miners opened GLVC play by splitting with McKendree, winning the opener 3-1 and dropping the nightcap 1-0.

S&T is scheduled to return to action Wednesday, traveling to Warrensburg, Mo., to take on the University of Central Missouri Jennies in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

Sunday

In the opener the Lady Miners (2-6, 1-3 GLVC) got a run in the first inning with some small ball. Andi Davis led off with a single and stole second. She went to third on Kyra Slemp's groundout to the right side and scored on Cailey Baker's sacrifice fly to center.

They had to chance to extend the lead in the fourth with runners on the corner and only one out, but couldn't get hit to drive them in.

Bellarmine (8-9, 3-1 GLVC) took advantage in the bottom of the inning. With one out an error allowed Megan Murdoch to reach first. Casey Cleary came onto pinch run for her and went to second on a passed ball. A walk and a double steal put runners at second and third with only one out.

Tabby Shewmaker doubled home the first two runs and then she scored on a home run by Madi Ratliff.

The Knights added two more in the fifth to make it 6-1. S&T got those two runs back on Kaylea Smith's third home run of the season in the sixth to conclude the scoring.

The Lady Miners finished with six hits led by Smith with two. Taylor Keal suffered the loss allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts to fall to 1-3 on the season.

S&T got off to a great start in game two with Davis and Slemp getting on base to start the game. Baker moved them over with a flyball to right and then Smith doubled them home. Smith came around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher to make it 3-0.

Bellarmine answered with four in the home half of the first and added on from there. The Knights scored twice in the third, once in the fourth and four times in the sixth to end the game.

The Lady Miners had two hits in the first inning, but just one the rest of the way. Smith again paced the offense with two hits and two RBIs. Amber Duncan took the loss allowing six runs on five hits in two innings of work. She walked three and struck out one.

Page 2 of 2 - Saturday

The Lady Miners got some clutch late game hitting to win its GLVC opener 3-1 at McKendree on Saturday afternoon, but it didn't carry over to the nightcap as McKendree held on for a 1-0 win.

The Bearcats (1-4, 0-1 GLVC) scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out double that scored Caitlin Stredde who reached on an error to start the game.

The Lady Miners answered with a run in the fourth to tie the game. Andi Davis drove in the tying run with a ground out to second bringing home Dana Lawson, who had run for Rachel Glenn. S&T added to its lead in the sixth inning. Cassie Rizzo reached on an error by the third basemen and went to second on a sacrifice by Glenn. She scored on Jamie Hatlan's double.

The Lady Miners added another run in the seventh when Kate Runyan singled through the left side to drive in Cailey Baker. McKendree brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh but Taylor Keal was able to finish the game off getting a ground out to third.

S&T finished the game with eight hits and was led by Baker with two. Keal went the distance to improve to 1-1 allowing the unearned run on five hits while striking out one.

In the nightcap the Bearcats scored first again getting a one-out double in the bottom of the first to score the lone run of the game. Stredde led the game off with a single and then moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on Erica Johnson's double.

The Lady Miners had the tying run on base in each of the next six innings, but unlike the first game were unable to get the big hit. They nearly tied

the game with two outs in the top of the seventh but Erin Premer's bloop shot was caught by the center fielder to end the game.

S&T had six hits in the contest led by Davis and Runyan with two each. Amber Duncan suffered the tough luck loss allowing the one run on six hits while striking out six and allowing a walk in six innings of work.